Nigeria By 2050

Everyone had come from far and wide, grandchildren, children, brothers, sisters and some others whose relationship I could not define. Year fifty was no number anyone could discard because it meant ten years to another Nigerian milestone.

The streets beamed wealth, prosperity and care. Nigerian states had been consistently ranked as richer than even some Western countries in the past ten years. The setting for the Independence Day was grand and exquisite. No one raised any dust when the government budgeted a hundred billion naira as its own contribution to the Independence Day celebration kitty. Corporate Nigeria was committing 25OBillion naira. Considering the exchange rates, that amounted to about $500Billion. Nigeria could afford to go on a splurge for her independence day considering its wealth.

The President who had beaten his predecessor at the polls promised to forgive Nigeria’s debtors including Russia, Britain, France and a host of European countries, which resulted in most of the presidents being in Nigeria days before October 1st. My family had taken a mid-air jet from Ikorodu to the Lekki airport where we boarded an air-bus for Abuja. With a population of about 25million, everything looked very much in place and beautiful. ‘‘Sweetheart, what do you think is responsible for Nigeria’s wealth?’’, says my wife Camille, a former British model whom some of my relatives think got married to me to get a Nigerian passport. While that is absolutely wrong, a host of Nigerians had fallen for con men desperate to have the Nigerian passport via marriage.

In answering Camille’s question, I spoke about the Freedom of Information law that exposed numerous frauds some 35 years before now. The FoI law was a magnet that attracted too many politicians and business executives to jail.

One other factor has to be the creation of Industrial Parks across the various regions of the country. With each region focusing on products for which it had comparative advantage, Nigeria soon became a major exporter to virtually every country in the world. That worked effectively because the Power companies competed so well power was not just available, it was cheap and permanent.

Unlike in times past when people scrambled for political offices, many were busy running thriving businesses. Ethno-religious crises ceased because there were no jobless youths to be used. I went on until we all slept off in the car.

When the car came to stop at the Eagle Square, I found myself awake again. I asked my wife Camille – whom I had married mainly because I wanted to get the British passport – what she thought of Nigeria. ‘‘Nigeria at 50?,’’ ‘‘She will get there.’’ ‘‘I meant Nigeria in 2050.’’ ‘‘Nigeria in 2050, how do I know that?!’’

‘‘I know that. Nigeria went beyond there.’’ I was tempted to ask her whether she married me for my Naija passport, but I knew the answers anyway because I had no Nigerian passport.

@Dr. Tansi: thank you for your observation. That’s my sincere gratitude-oh.
@Marya Kudos: *hugsandpecks* thank you for the nice words. I’m glad you like it. I’m really delighted. Taking an independent view when you could have followed the trail. Cheers dear. I am chuffed @MaryaKudos!
@Lade. Amen!!! It’s my 1st sub-1000 words story. Sure to get better as that’s the way to go. Thanks@Seun-odukoya: thanks seun. I had to run thru it. I am not an expert at writing 500 worded stuffs. I almost did not enter it too and yes I’d look to improve. I believe that’s the essence of all of this. E se gan o. lol
@Mercy. Thanks and may God’s mercy get us to shangrila. Cheers Mercy.@Boomingsols : as @Mercy above. Lol. Thanks dear. Cheers

I don’t understand the need to praise a write up and then rather than personally look for a loophole (which I believe every work of art has – including the Achebes, Soyinkas and Whitmans) everyone follows the same trail about the end. We seem to think may be if we say it enough it will make it true and deprive the work of its glory. whatever! I love to say things as I know them to be so I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to reiterate what others have said. I’m new here but I don’t think this is the way. Thanks for the votes.

King Jay,you may need to relax a bit as people left comments as they saw fit.
Does repeating that its a good and interesting post make it more true and/or add to its glory?
I think that the fact that nearly everyone who has commented has mentioned the end as a bit lax should catch your attention and what you should be asking for are suggestions on what they think you can do about it. That’s your loophole.
Don’t be too harsh in your critique of people; take and learn what you can and run with that.

I already had issues with my siblings who felt the end wasn’t cool enough. it didn’t help to come here only to find all the comments following the same path. i think i was wrong in the above rant. i am sorry about that. i apologise to everyone that must have been affected by my comment. i just don’t like to hear people say the same things over and again. i’d have had no problems if people had different areas to critic. i was wrong to hit back though. i apologise. thank you Abby for flogging me into line.@Jaywriter. thanks